Prison reforms clear 2 House panels

Bill would save state hundreds of millions

11:35 PM,
Jan. 30, 2014

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Two House committees passed a bill Thursday that would lead to sweeping prison and sentencing reforms.

The House Judiciary B and Corrections committees approved House Bill 585, containing reform measures that were hammered out last year by a 21-member bipartisan state task force. If the measures are adopted, it's estimated they will save the state $200 million in corrections costs over 10 years.

Task force recommendations include providing more discretion for judges to impose alternatives to prison and creating "true minimums" regarding when offenders are eligible for release. They ...